EastEnders' storylining team are changing their plans for the ongoing baby swap plot, according to reports.

The controversial story has attracted thousands of complaints to the BBC and Ofcom, and the situation has intensified today following confirmation that Samantha Womack has decided to quit the soap.

According to The Mirror, the serial's writing team are now discussing how to bring the storyline to a conclusion.

"It's back to the drawing board," a source told the paper. "Lots of ideas are being discussed and the final decision on how the plot climaxes is still being changed. Lots of people have been upset, so things are being tweaked to deal with it in a sensitive way."

Meanwhile, The Guardian is reporting that producers have decided to "cut short" the storyline, meaning that it is "likely to be brought to a conclusion in the spring".

In an official response to the complaints, the BBC today said that "viewers will see the situation resolve itself over the coming months".

Womack has also denied suggestions that her decision to leave EastEnders was influenced by the storyline.

Power to the People erin 

Thanks for that  

quote:

Meanwhile, The Guardian is reporting that producers have decided to "cut short" the storyline, meaning that it is "likely to be brought to a conclusion in the spring"

oh god, so we'll still have to put up with it for months no doubt ending with some badly thought through rushed plot change

I don't watch it, and I saw the papers today.. WTF?!!!! I'm even more glad now that I don't watch it

Confirmed that this storyline is going to have a fast conclusion than what was planned so now it could be over by April. According to the papers today Samantha Womack has also been attacked in the street while out with her two kids.

That's awful - why can't these people distinguish between reality and soap land or was she attacked because she undertook the role?  

I think a bit of both, I mean Charlie Brooks who plays Janine gets nasty comments from some when she's out with her child but she said she relishes it because it means she is doing her job well.

I've never been keen on the Ronnie character and she has had some bizarre plots to act up to, which probably doesn't help. I do remember thinking, 'Oh, good grief!', when I heard that this was going to happen, but this is not unheard of and I don't think it is any different to a lot of other issues Stenders has dealt with in the past.

Although I missed the actual episode where she swapped the babies, I've found the rest of it quite moving. I agree that Jesse and Shane have been brilliant at acting the intense grief a parent would feel after a cot death. As someone said on telly, today, if this had happened in something like Dallas, nobody would think anything of it, but maybe Stenders is a little too realistic (sort of) and therefore closer to home, in reality and metaphorically.

I also didn't watch the actual ep where the baby died and the switch but I've watched the aftermath.  Someone up the thread asked how it was not done well?  Well, as a parent, the LAST thing I would ever do if my baby died would be to put him ina strange room BY HIMSELF and leave him there.  Dead. For someone else to find and cuddle and bury.  I've seen a parent mourn her baby after SIDS and she wouldn't leave her side and spent every possible minute with her saying goodbye.  To think that someone would just leave the baby and walk off with another is just ridiculous.

I know grief makes people do strange things but I would have thought that the first thought would be for the baby, not oh no, where can I get another one instead?

Bit sad that Sam Womack is leaving but Jebus they really dragged her right down with the awful storylines they;ve given her.  I know some people lead lives filled wiht misery but the odd ray of sunshine could have been thrown in for her.

Anyone who watches it knows that Ronnie was abused by her father, abandoned by her mother, made to give up a baby for adoption, told that the baby had died, got to know the child, without knowing that it was her daughter, found out she had been lied to and that it was her child, then watched the child die in her arms, tried to get pregnant by deceiving lovers, had a miscarriage after being pushed over by her father, then finally gets pregnant by and then married to Jack.

We aren't talking about an 'average' human being here!

What gets me is that Sam Womack is supposed to be so upset by the storyline that she is quitting - in five months time.  Plus she could have refused to do it and she didn't.

Can't quote but well said jingle bellella.    It was badly done.  Me and my pals said that theres no WAY we would've left our baby alone in a room if we had thought he was dead/ill whatever.. and sodded off with some else's baby!  We thought 'poor little boy, being left alone.' and its also possible he MAY not have been dead!  And also I have questioned a few times why Sam Womack didnt leave when she got the script, I think she has only left becauseof the hoo-har. 

I am kind of glad she has gone in a way, because like many people have said, i am pissed off with the stupid far fetched miserable storyline she keeps getting.  I havent watch EE for awhile now, but get the jist of the storylines occasionally through various routes, and the silly and sometimes offensive storylines are why i quit watching.  This once fine British soap is really crap now. 

I'm actually shocked that a few people (not many,) but a few, have said theres only 6000 complaints, that's nothing considering 13 million watch it!  For a start, 6000 IS a LOT of complaints about ANYTHING, and also, I question if EE gets THIS many viewers now.  Probably closer to 7 or 8 million, and if Corrie was in at the same time and there wasnt videoing or catch up TV/V plus etc, I reckon EE audience would drop to half a million!

I also didn't watch the actual ep where the baby died and the switch but I've watched the aftermath.  Someone up the thread asked how it was not done well?  Well, as a parent, the LAST thing I would ever do if my baby died would be to put him ina strange room BY HIMSELF and leave him there.  Dead. For someone else to find and cuddle and bury.  I've seen a parent mourn her baby after SIDS and she wouldn't leave her side and spent every possible minute with her saying goodbye.  To think that someone would just leave the baby and walk off with another is just ridiculous.

I know grief makes people do strange things but I would have thought that the first thought would be for the baby, not oh no, where can I get another one instead?

I think the main thing to focus on in your post is the use of the word "if".  You have never been put in such a position therefore you can't really judge how you would feel or react.  You also say that you never watched the actual episode and I think if you did you would see that it didn't really happen in the way you make out - she didn't actually set out to just swap a baby.

You also mention your friends reaction - that was her coping mechanism however there is no prescribed behaviour in these circumstances therefore to suggest such behaviour is not quite right is pretty ridiculous as far as I am concerned.

pretty-p... i suggest you read up on what midwives, mumsnet, The Cot Death Society etc say on the matter, before you post again. I actually find what you have said very offensive and extremely insensitive

It's a drama.

Totally agree with everything you just said Skylark. 

I know it's a distressing storyline.  Anyone who has suffered the death of a child would be devastated by this story.  When I was pregnant with my second son, a teacher that I worked with was pregnat too so of course we shared a lot - joy, moans, doctor visits, etc.  We both had sons.  She lost her son when he was a few months old to cot death and it was the saddest funeral I have ever attended.

The first time either of my sons slept through the night, my heart started to beat fast when I awoke before them.  I think every mother feels panic the first time they aren't woken up by their baby.

Having said all that, I think people need to remember that Eastenders is NOT real life.  Storylines are developed that would never really happen.  Other soaps have done cot deaths.  Other soaps have done baby swaps.  It's not a documentary.

Hi Suzi, sorry cant quote, of course it is a TV programme, but it has upset a lot of people, maybe because it was shown at this time of year, when thoughts go to lost ones etc. It also borders on mental health issues surrounding this kind of bereavement, which a lot of the medical profession have stated . I havent seen it, but reading about the whole storyline has upset me. My son was born prematurely, and on taking him home some 3 weeks later had some wonderful people, explaining that he was risk of cot death, it was a bad time. I know people who have been upset because of this storyline and i think this should be recognised, and a well established programme like EE should have taken more direction from agencies who deal with this, rather than dive right in, for drama viewing, rather than peoples feelings, especially as i have said at this time of year

Can't quote Pretty P but I can assure you AS A MOTHER I would not leave my dead newborn in a lonely strange place and wander off with another.  I had loads more written here but I think I've said what I wanted in the first sentence.

ah well
it's 'pretend' innit

pretty-p... i suggest you read up on what midwives, mumsnet, The Cot Death Society etc say on the matter, before you post again. I actually find what you have said very offensive and extremely insensitive


I don't need to read any of those websites and I am not being insensitive I am being realistic - nobody knows how they would react in such a situation until they are actually in it.  This is the same as any horrible situation - we would all like to think we would react in a certain way but the fact remains that until have to face suchan event we just don't know.  Grief and trauma can rip apart the mind of even the strongest people.

Can't quote Pretty P but I can assure you AS A MOTHER I would not leave my dead newborn in a lonely strange place and wander off with another.  I had loads more written here but I think I've said what I wanted in the first sentence.

Of course you would never in a milion years like to imagine yourself being able to do that and that is completely understandable however none of us can predict how we would act in that siuation - grief is a terrifying emotion.

Hi Skylark!

I can only imagine how distressing it must be for a mother who has lost a baby to watch.  I don't think it's so much the cot death that people are complaining about, but the baby swap.  After the birth of my second son, I had my tubes tied and the surgeon asked me what if my baby were to die, wouldn't I want the ability to replace him?  As if anything or anyone could replace him!

I can only imagine how devasted a mother would be in that situation.  I would be screaming, and shouting and sobbing and wanting to die myself.  I think Kat's reaction is more realistic, her grief, her wanting answers, blaming herself, etc.  Ronnie's reaction is totally wrong, but I have never rated Samantha Womack as a great actress anyway.

It's still just fiction, it's not real life.  Eastenders is the only soap I really follow at all so I can't really compare it to others.  I watch it because I think, "well, at least I don't have it as bad as (insert character's name here)"  I don't watch it because it's a reflection of real life.

 Can you honestly say that there are a queue of women just waiting to get off with Ian? Or that you can become a lesbian for a couple of weeks and then go back to your husband like Sonja did?

pretty_p does make a good point here - no one really knows for sure how they would be in certain situations - you just don't know how your mind or body will react. 


But the story line is certainly hard hitting and I'm of the opinion that they should have scrapped the baby swapping part.  


I agree with the comments about Jessie Wallace playing her part well - I've never thought of her as such a good actress until now.


I also read that Samantha Womack has said that actually the storyline had nothing to do with her decison to leave anyway.

Indeed pretty p, thats why i dont give opinions on how people should feel and would certainly not say to anyone, their opinions are ridiculous. I really do not wish to enter into a communication with you, i have said my opinions and you, yours, so i would be obliged if we left it at that, thanks

Hi suzi, chat later if thats ok x Maybe on another thread x

Aren't we missing the point? It's only TV. The soaps might try to touch on some kind of real life, but they are not and never will be; for the sake of entertainment, that's what they are. If people object to the contents, please don't watch anymore.